(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle speed control system for automatically adjusting the speed of an automotive vehicle to a preset speed
(2) Description of the Related Art
The automobile has become indispensable in contemporary life, and comfort when driving has become increasingly important. To this end, some vehicles are provided with a speed control system to reduce driver fatigue.
A vehicle speed control system, e.g., a cruise control system, automatically controls the opening of the throttle valve of the engine in accordance with the road gradient to maintain a constant vehicle speed, i.e., a desired vehicle speed, and the speed control system is usually provided with a main switch for connecting the system to a battery and control switches such as a set/coast switch, a resume/accelerate switch, and a cancel switch.
The control switches are usually installed in an inner zone of a steering wheel such as on a spoke or on a steering pad, so that they can be easily operated when driving, but the main switch is usually installed in a instrument panel, which is at a distance from the control switches. Accordingly, to activate the cruise control system, first the driver must turn ON the main switch, and then set one of the control switches, which is rather inconvenient. An improvement can be made by installing the main switch in the inner zone of the steering wheel, but this is not practical because there is little space therein in which to install the main switch, and in addition, the wiring for the main switch becomes complicated.